Envelop.



E. E. COLE.

ENVELQP. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1909.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

Fig].

[II TIE ERNEST E. COLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENVELOP.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1,1912.

Applicationfiled October 9, 1909. Serial No. 521,872.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST E. COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-.

cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relatesto an improved form of envelop adapted to be opened by tearing from the body of the envelop a portion adapted to be readily-removed therefrom. This removable portion is preferably located at one end in such a manner that a portion ofthe end of the envelop is opened by its removal and that the inclosure-is adapted to extend into such portion and be removed from the envelop at the same time.

My invention further provides an extending tab on the other end of the envelop to be held in opening the same, in order that the inclosure may not be engaged by the hand holding the body of the envelop during the opening operation. This tab may be a portion of the envelop blank itself or it may be made separately and secured to the envelop, as desired.

My invention further provides that the removable portion of the envelop is secured to the body portion by a weakened section resulting from a plurality of perforations or rows of perforations so disposed that they extend across the line of tear, as a result of which the removable portion, while secured to the envelop, is held rigidly in its proper position and prevented from being readily bent relatively to the body portion of the envelop.

The several drawings illustrating my invention are as follows: Figure 1 is a face view of an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention, the lower left hand corner of which is broken away to show a tab separately made and secured to the envelop. In this. figure the inclosure is shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a face view of an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention, in which the readily removable portion has been torn from the envelop and the inclosure partly removed with such portion from the envelop; Figs. 3 and 4 show in detail the lower right hand corner of the envelop and modified arrangements of perforations that may be used to secure the retween the ends of such slits.

movable portion to the envelop Fig. .5

shows in detail view a portion of an envelop blank so formed as to constitute also the tab extending from the left hand end of the envelop, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows in detail arrangement a modified form of weakened portion of the envelop adapted for use at the end opposite the tab.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the body portion of the envelop has formed through its front and rear wall, at its lower right-hand corner, a series of slits 2 extending in zigzag arrangement across the lower righthand corner, leaving small uncut portions be- In this way the portion 3 of the envelop is secured to the body portion by a comparatively small amount of material, as a result of which by holding the body portion of the envelop and exerting a quick pull upon the portion 3, the envelop will be torn along the zig-zag line formed by the slits 2. The inclosure 4 is preferably folded, as indicated, so as to form a doubled, inclined edge 5 and to extend into the portion 3. This arrangement provides .that when the portion 3 is removed from the body portion 1 of the envelop the inclosure 4 is also removed and that the doubled edge 5 forms a cutting edge to readily open the remaining portion of the end of the envelop.

In order to prevent the engagement of the inclosure 4 by the hand holding the body portion of the envelop during the operation of removing the inclosure from the envelop, I provide upon the left hand end of the envelop, as shown in Fig. 1, a tab 6 extending beyond the end of the envelop. This construction provides that the body portion of the envelop may be held by means of the tab 6 and thus that the inclosure may be perfectly free to be withdrawn with the portion 3 removed from the envelop.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tab 6 is separately formed and secured to the envelop 1, but, if desired, such tab may be made a portion of the envelop blank itself, as shown in Fig. 5 at 6, in which figure the lines of fold of the blank are indicated at- 7 and 8. If desired, the tab 6 and portion 3 may carry printed matter as shown, which will Serve to indicate the manner in which the opening of the envelop is to be effected.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a modified arrangement of perforations for partly separating the body portion of the envelop 1 from the portion 3. In this modification comparatively small perforations are arranged in a plurality of zig-zag rows extending across the corner of the envelop, the efiect in opening the envelop being similar to that already shown and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. The zig-zag arrangement of the perforations shown in Fig. 3 serves to normally prevent bending of the portion 3 relatively to the body portion of the envelop and also to permit the ready removal of the portion 3 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the portion 3 is separated from the body portion 1 of the envelop by means of a series of perforations 10 arranged in the arc of a circle described about the lower right hand corner of the envelop as a center. The effect of the circular arrangement of the perfo rations 10. is to prevent bending of the portion 3 and to yet permit its ready removal when it is desired to remove the inclosure 4 from the envelop.

-As shown in Fig. 6, the end of the envelop opposite to the end from which the opening tab projects may be weakened, if desired, by forming an opening 11 in one of the edges of the envelop near or at its right hand end, which opening may be of sufiicient size to permit the engagement of the inclosure therethrough. The operation of this modification in opening the envelop is similar to that described above, the only difference being that no portion of the envelop is removed during the opening operation.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments herein described, I do not, however, limit myself to these constructions, but desire to claim any equivalent that will suggest itself to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is The combination of an envelop provided with perforations at one corner thereof to form a readily-detachable portion adapted to be grasped and torn from the envelop, of an inclosure having one corner thereof folded over to present a folded cutting edge extending obliquely into said detachable portion, whereby the inclosure may be engaged at the detachable portion and removed therewith from the envelop, said folded edge serving to out the end of the envelop as the inclosure is withdrawn, and a tab permanently attached to the envelop at the other end and the corresponding corner and extending beyond the envelop proper.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of October, A. D.

ERNEST E. COLE. Witnesses:

ALBERT C. BELL, LEONARD E. BoGUE. 

